Method and apparatus for storing flowable solid material



March 10, 1931. H. ADAMS 1,795,988

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STORING FLOWABLE SOLID MATERIAL Filed Oct. 14, 19274 A l i 12 mvE Patented Mar. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY ADAMS, OF PIJAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ADAMS GOAL MAOHINEBY COMPANY, OF PLAINIIELD, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STORING FLOWAIBLE SOLID MATERIAL Application filed October 14, 1927. Serial No. 226,167.

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for storing flowable solid material and more particularly to means for filling bins, pockets or the like with coal or similar broken material and removing it therefrom, though it is noted that the invention is not limited to broken material or storing.

One object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and method of this kind whereby material having fines and large pieces therein may be stored-and later withdrawn with the fines and large pieces well mixed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of this kind formixing the fines and the larger pieces.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved combination of the apparatus shown in my United States Patents Nos. 1,234,709 and 1,234,? 10 issued July 31, 1927, whereby coal or the like lowered into a bin by the latter may be withdrawn in a well mixed condition by the former, thus giving a new function not possible with either old apparatus.

other object is to provide a convenient means for preventing the caking of the coal or the like by ice". 7

Other objects of the invention are to improve generally the simplicity and efliciency of such methods and apparatus, to provide an economical and reliable method and to provide an apparatus of this kind which is economical durable and reliable in operation, and economical to erect.

Still other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described and claimed, the invention is not limited tothese, since many and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed in the broader claims.

The invention features for the accomplishment of these and other objects are shown herein in connection with an improved coal handling method which, briefly stated, includes gradually lowering the coal or other flowable solid material to form a pile having fines therein adapted to sink near the point of lowering, many of the larger pieces rolling or otherwise moving over the pile to points more or less remote from the fines where the material is confined, as by bin walls, remote from the fines to build up a confined body.

The material is withdrawn at an outlet beneath said fines and limited in its withdrawal to a column over said outlet, whereby material is fed to the column from all along the to only of the body, as in said first name patent, thereby bringing the large pieces back to the fines and mixing them with the fines on withdrawal.

While the method may be performed by other apparatus than the one shown, I refer to perform it with the herein descrl ed apparatus, which briefly stated includes a vertical filling chute in said bin, said chute having an unclosed side where the material flows out and piles up, the fines sinking and the large pieces rolling to oints remote from said unclosed side. Said blll is provided with an out-let opening adjacent to said unclosed side; and widely spaced uprights on the edge of said opening define a vertical delivery chute adjacent to said side for limiting the withdrawal of material to a column over said outlet, whereby material is fed to the column from all along the top only of the'body, as in said first named patent, thus mixing the large pieces with the fines as the materlal is withdrawn.

In the accompanying drawing, showing by way of example, one of many possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, showing the coail being withdrawn from the apparatus; an

Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus.

The storage bin or pocket for the coal, coke and other brittle or flowable solid material, comprises vertical walls 10, 11, 12 and a floor 13, on which restsa vertical filling chute 15.

near the mid part of one wall 10.

Said chute comprises opposite side walls 18, the adjacent side 10 of the bin serving as an intermediate rear wall cooperating with the side walls 18 to form three permanently closed sides of the chute and leaving an unclosed side 19 at all times substantially unclosed from top to bottom of the chute. A

hopper 20 is formed at the upper end of the chute between said side walls 18.

Downwardly and inwardly inclined separate staggered bafiies 22 are secured between said side walls 18 perpendicular thereto in vertical series to form a telegraph chute in said filling chute and extending substantially from top to bottom of the filling chute and from said rear wall to the open side, an intermediate part of each bafile being beneath and spaced from the lower edge of the baffle just above, thereby to form a flowage space for lowering the material from said hopper 20, in a column from the top to the bottom of the filling chute, without excessive breakage.-

The floor 13 is provided with a square main outlet opening 22 adjacent to said unclosed side 19 and a coarse material delivery opening 23 near the middle part of the opposite bin wall 11, the outlet openings being controlled by slide ates 24.

Vertical uprigdits or corner pieces 25, 26 of right-angular cross-section, are mounted on the respective corners of said delivery opening 22, two of the corner pieces 26 being adj acent to the edge of said side walls 18 at said unclosed side 19. Said corner pieces co 8 operate to define a vertical delivery chute 27 open at every side entirely from end to end and extending from the delivery opening substantially to the top of the bin', one open side being adjacent to and co-extensive with the 35 unclosed side 19 of the filling chute,

As the material is lowered said bafiles 22 permit the material to pile up, first beneath the filling chute and then to overflow the bafiies at the unclosed side into the discharge chute, as long as material is supplied to the hopper and until the major portion of the bin and the delivery chute 27 is filled, the

fines sinking in and near the delivery chute,

the large pieces generally rolling or otherwise {)noving to more or less remote parts of the The corner pieces 25, 26 form barriers limiting the portion of coal being delivered to an upright column as at 28, downwardly gravitationally moving without breakage and grinding in free contact at one side with coal at the unclosed side 19 of the delivery chute and at the other sides 29 with the main body of material, upon the top only of which col- 65 umn 28 as the column descends, fresh material including said large pieces from all along the top layer 30 of the main body is fed with a minimum of degradation at a slanting angle of about 25 to 30 degrees. This top layer mixes with the fines nearer and at the column 28 as the material is withdrawn, to substantially the same proportion in which they were delivered to the bin.

The parts of said material below the top layers 30 and adjacent to the open-sides 29 automatically form a horizontally outwardly arched barrier, as indicated at the dotted line 31 and shown in said first named patent, preventing the flow of the main body into the column except at the top, whereby degrading disturbance, grinding and breakage of the main body are prevented.

The mixed material is removable through said opening 22 controlled by the slide gate and is held against injurious fall and under control from said hopper 20 to said gate by means of the gate, barriers, chutes and baflies, whereby degradation is reduced to a minimum.

The operation will be understood from the foregoing, and need now be only briefly summarized as follows:

The coal or other material to be stored is received by the hopper 20 and baflled and gradually lowered by the baflles 22, the walls 10 and 18 confining the material in a narrow upright enclosure permittin it to discharge at said unclosed side 19 to orm a pile having its highest part at said side. The fines are deposited near and at said unenclosedside, the large pieces rolling over the pile, thereby to build up a confined body of the material ready to be withdrawn.

The fines in the column 27 are first withdrawn through the outlet 22 and separatelydisposed of, the corner pieces 25, 26 limiting the withdrawal to an upright column over said outlet in contact throughout three sides 29 with the main body. This causes the top layer 30 only of the material to be fed to the top of the column 28, mixing the large pieces with the fines adjacent to the column as the top layer moves to the column. The gate 24 holds the material in said outlet 22 under control, thereby course of the material.

If material comprising mostly larger ieces be desired, it may be withdrawn throug the opening 23.

Heating means is provided for preventing material when wet from being caked up with ice; and this means which may be conven-.

iently placed near the delivery column is here shown as comprising a pair of heating coils 35 having vertical eatlng members 36, 37, upper members 38 connecting the heating members of each coil, and lower connecting members 39 respectively connected to opposite ends of the coil beneath the flo'or 13.

Supply and discharge pipes 40 are connected to said lower members 39 respectively whereby heating medium can be circulated through the coils to prevent the material when wet from being caked by ice. The heating members 36, 37 are secured in the angles of the corner members for protecting and bracing the heating members, thou h it is noted that the invention is not limite to their location.

The coils may be either pipes or electric conductors.

controlling the entire III I claim as my invention:

'1. In combination, a bin for flowable solid material; a vertical filling chute extending substantially to the bottom of said bin having an unclosed side where the material flows out and the fines sink the large pieces moving to points remote from said side; said bin having an outlet opening adjacent to said side; widely spaced pieces on the edge of said opening to define a vertical delivery chute adjacent to and communicating with said side for limiting the withdrawal of material toa column over said outlet, whereby material is fed, to the column, from all along the top only of the body, thus mixing the large pieces with the fines as the material is withdrawn.

2. In combination, a bin for flowable solid material, comprising side walls and a fioor; a vertical filling chute near the mid part of one side of the bin comprising side walls and an intermediatewall one side being substantially unclosed from top to bottom; means for gradually lowering the material in said filling chute; said floor having'a rectangular opening adjacent to said unclosed side; vertical corner pieces on the corners of said opening to define a vertical delivery chute open adjacent to said unclosed side.

3. In combination, a bin for fiowable solid material, comprising side walls and a floor; a vertical filling chute near the mid part of one side of the bin comprising side walls and an intermediate wall one sidebeing substantially unclosed from top to bottom; means for gradually lowering the material in said fillingchute; said floor having a rectan ular openn ing adjacent to said unclosed si e; vertical corner pieces on the corners of said opening to define a vertical delivery chute open adjacent to said unclosed side; said material overflowing at the unclosed side into the delivery chute until the major portion of the bin is filled, the fines sinking in and near the discharge chute, the large pieces moving to remote parts of the bin, said pieces limiting the material being delivered to column, -'downwardly moving in free contact at one side with coal of the filling chute and at the other sides with the main body, the top only of which column fresh materialincluding said large pieces from top layer of the main body is fed and mixed with the fines; said material below the top adjacent to the open sides forming a barrier preventing flow into the column except at the top.

4. In combination, a bin for flowable solid material, comprising a floor having a rectangular opening therein; vertical corner ends of the coils beneath the floor; supply and discharge pipes connected to said lower members respectively whereby heating medium can be circulated through the coils to prevent the material when wet from being caked by ice; said heating members being placed in the angles of the corner members for protecting and bracing the heating members.

5. In combination, means for holding flowable solid material in a single mass; a filling device for depositing material in said means; said means having an outlet opening near the point of deposit of the material and smaller than a downward projection of said mass; and widely spaced uprights near the edge of said opening to define a substantially verti-- of October, A. D. 1927.

\ HENRY ADAMS.

pieces of right angular cross-section on the I corners of said opening to define a vertical delivery chute over said opening; a pair of heating coils having vertical heating members, upper members connectng the heating members of each coil,'and lower connecting members ,respectively'connected to opposite 

